SBIR-STTR Award

The company has developed and patented a proprietary crucible technology that is impervious to aluminum and nitrogen and can be used at high temperature for rapid growth of large AlN crystals. KSU will study the durability of the crucible material as a function of temperature and growth conditions and determine the best method for utilizing low-impurity, low-stress, self-nucleated crystals as seeds in crucibles or cones. TFGI will bootstrap small seeds to demonstrate the feasibility of growing AlN crystals up to 5 cM (2") diameter in Phase II.

Single crystal aluminum nitride is an important substrate material for the growth of III-nitrides because of its high thermal conductivity, excellent lattice match and chemical compatibility. AlN crystals have been difficult to grow because the Al vapor is extremely reactive. Fox Group and KSU have demonstrated a highly durable crucible technology and a method of producing seed crystals that will be combined in Phase II to develop a process for growing large, 2" diameter AlN boules.

Keywords:
aluminum nitride single crystal, bulk aln growth, crystal growth modeling, durable crucible, sublima